Cyclocaridae Lowry & Stoddart 2011

Family Cyclocaridae Lowry & Stoddart, 2011

Diagnostic description. “ Head exposed or partially covered by pereonite 1, slightly deeper than long, with or without cheek notch. Antennae, calceoli present or absent in male. Antenna 2 peduncle article 3 without distal hook. Epistome and upper lip separate. Epistome with proximal portion not produced. Mouthpart bundle subquadrate. Mandible incisors well developed, asymmetrical, left straight, minutely serrate or minutely and weakly scalloped, right convex, smooth; left lacinia mobilis rod-like; accessory setal row with more than 5 robust setae, without distal setal tuft; molar a setose tongue; palp inserted distally. Maxilla 1 inner plate with pappose setae along medial margin; outer plate with setal-teeth in 7/4 crown arrangement, setal teeth large, slender; palp large, with apical robust setae. Maxilla 2 inner plate significantly shorter than outer plate, inner plate without oblique row of facial setae. Maxilliped outer plate present, medial setae small, blunt or bead-shaped, with apical slender setae; palp 4-articulate, article 4 well-developed.

Gnathopod 1 simple; coxa vestigial; ischium long; carpus long; propodus small; dactyl slightly curved. Gnathopod 2 coxa vestigial. Pereopods all simple; distal spurs absent. Pereopod 4 coxa with posteroventral lobe weak. Pereopod 5 coxa posterior lobe deeper.

Uropod 3 biramous. Telson long, deeply cleft. (Modified after Lowry & Stoddart, 2011, modifications in bold text).

Remarks. Lowry & Stoddart (2011) erected the family Cyclocaridae in recognition of the distinctive characters of Cyclocaris. C. lowryi sp. nov. and C. franki sp. nov. resemble C. tahitensis and C. guilelmi but have characters of the head and incisor process that require emendation of the diagnostic description. Examination of material of Cyclocaris guilelmi at the Natural History Museum, London (including the type of Cyclocaris faroensis Norman, 1900) reveals that the habitus illustration of this species by Sars (1900) of subequal lobes of the pereopod 5 coxa, is erroneous. The diagnostic description has been emended accordingly.